Hospital patient care generates considerable quantities of infectious medical waste in primary and acute care facilities. There has been a general conversion from reusable, cleanable items to disposable items over the last three decades. These conversions were made to promote antiseptic techniques in patient care and to decrease the potential for cross-infections between patients, staff and the general public. Recent federal and state government regulations such as the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 and OSHA Medical Facility rules have resulted in a substantial increase in medical waste that must be classified as "infectious."
When a patient is admitted to the hospital, the patient produces approximately 55 pounds of medical waste per day. Approximately 20% of this waste is infectious. The current stated objective of the American Hospital Association and the Centers for Disease Control is to treat medical waste as soon as it is generated. Both organizations recognize that medical waste is primarily an occupational hazard for health care workers and not an environmental problem. The best way to handle infectious medical waste is to disinfect it at the point of generation and dispose of the treated medical waste with a minimum on premises handling and storage. The need for an effective way to dispose of medical waste has been highlighted by the amendment made to 29 CFR 1910.1030 which provides for the federal regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 USC 655, 657 to control blood borne pathogens. Specifically, the Act calls for the establishment of an exposure control plan, the containment of specimens of blood or other potentially infectious materials and the general tightening of precautionary measures to minimize the spread of disease. A safe and effective way to dispose of hospital waste would greatly facilitate compliance with the above-referenced Act.
As a result, consumption of medical disposable woven or non-woven products has been growing at a rate of approximately 10% a year. In 1988, sales totaled approximately 1.155 billion dollars. It is projected that as of the end of 1996, sales of medical disposable non-woven products will have exceeded two and a half billion dollars. In the United States, there are at least 30 million surgical procedures performed each year. After each surgical procedure, it is necessary that the operating theater be disinfected before a new procedure is performed to minimize any exposure the patients may bring to other patients or staff. This is particularly important in light of today's increasingly stringent regulations regarding occupational exposure to blood and bodily fluids.
Towels, sponges and gauzes have been in use since the first days of surgical procedures. They are used either to manipulate tissue, absorb blood and other oxidants of the wound site, as well as being useful to cleanse hands and assist in cleansing certain utensils used in various surgical procedures. Traditionally, towels, sponges and gauzes have been made from cotton fibers, though in recent years attempts have been made to provide replacements from other fibers including polyesters, rayons and other staple materials. These fibers were chosen because of their relative availability and cleanliness as man-made materials. Cotton is an agricultural material with volatile price and availability fluctuations. It has been noted that cotton replacements have, by and large, been unsatisfactory although many attempts have been made to mimic the appearance of cotton, all of which have been in vain.
Hospitals generally discard gauzes, sponges and towels after surgical use. Disposal takes place in either a landfill or by incineration. However, in either case, the handling of articles after use promotes the exposure of certain blood borne diseases to those employees who are charged with the responsibility for bagging and introducing such materials into the disposal process.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide suitable towels, sponges and gauze capable of being disposed of after use while avoiding additional burdens being placed upon landfills and other disposal sites.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide suitable towels, sponges and gauze which, after use, can be solubilized and substantially sterilized in a single operation.
These and further objects will be more readily appreciated when considering the following disclosure and dependent claims.